Collaret-reenforcing means



Jan; 11 1927.

w. w. BURKE v COLLARET REENFORCING MEANS.

Filed May 26 1923 J H1 7 J6 I I J2 //\{VNTOR VV/LL/AM W. BURKE,

Brig 47 Arrys.

Patented Jan. 11, 1927.

warren STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM W. BURKE, OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO WILSON BROS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

COLLARET-REENFORCING MEANS.

' Application filed May 26, 1923. Serial No. 641 551.

My invention relates to improvements in collaret reenforcing means and is of particular value in connection with the reenforcing of the coilarets of knitted underwear, for example, mens union suits.

The principal objects of the invention are to provide means for reenforcing the margin surrmniding the neck opening of an upper garment in such Ina-.ineras to prevent undue stretch or enlargement of the neck opening; to provide an arrangement of the class described which will nevertheless permit of a certain degree of elasticity and particularly at those points subjected to the maximum stretch; to provide a construction which shall be simple, economical, neat, durable and efiicient, and in general to provide an improved collaret reenforcing means of the character referred to.

In the drawings accompanying this appli cation, I have illustrated my invention as applied to a mans knitted union suit and in said drawings,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation showing a portion of the garment to which my invention is applied.

Fig. 2 shows the parts before they are assembled to form the collaret, and

Fig. 3 showsthe parts laid together ready for stitching.

Referring to the drawings, it will be observed that the mans union suit shown in the drawings is constructed as to the upper part of its body or trunk portion, of a single piece of tubular knitted fabric split in the front to enable the garment to be put on or I light strand of material having considerably taken olf. Said main section fabric includes front portions 10 and 11, which, in effect, constitute extensions of the back portion 12. Said main body portion is freely expansible or extensible in a horizontal direction, but much less so in a vertical direction. The numerals 13 and. 14: represent the edges of the arm holes and 15 and 16 shoulder pieces made of the same knitted fabric as is used for the main body portion, but having its run at right angles to the run of the fabric composing the main body portion. This is according to the usual practice to provide a certain amount of lengthwise elasticity in the shoulders of the garment while at the same time to prevent the shoulders from stretching outwardly or sagging in the direction of the arms.

The means for preventing the neck porsection.

tion of the garment from unduly expanding or stretching out of shape include the usual collaret 17 equipped with my improved re enforcing); means. Said collaret 17 is. of the usual knitted construction and is made of knitted fabric having a selvage edge 18 which forms the actual neck opening and a cut edge 19 which,in the assembly of the garment is butted against the edge 20 of the neck opening of the body portion. The run of said collaret 17 lies in the same direction as that of the main body section, but the threads are so knitted as to give considerably less flexibility in a direction crosswise of he run than in the case of the main body Hence when the edges 19 and 20 are connected together by the usual fiat locked stitch, the expansibility of the neck opening in the body portion is considerably reduced first by reason of the collaret being less extensible, and second, due to the type of stitching employed.

I am aware that the above type of construction has been used with more or less success for a number of years, but I have found that under certain conditions, the stretch or amount of extension of the neck in service is quite excessive and spoils the shape and comfort of the garment. On the other hand if the neck opening is made initially small or tight so as to allow for said extension, the garment may shrink thus interfering seriously with the comfort of the wearer. My invention successfully overcomes all these difiiculties. V r

In carrying out my invention, Iselect a less elasticity than the collaret and incorporate said strand in the margin of the goods surrounding the neck opening of the garment. Preferably, I apply said strand 21 along the line of the butt seam which connects the collarct with the main body section so as to retain the eh ticity or flexibility of the edge of the collaret while adequately reenforcing the neck opening against stresses tending to deform or stretch the same.

The middle portion of the recnforcement 21 extends alongthe back of the neck seam and the end portions extend forwardly along the side portions of the seam and across the inner ends of the shoulder pieces 15 and 16, and'also across and connected to the inner ends of the front and rear shoulder seams which connect the respective shoulder pieces with the front and back portions of the garment. The effect of the reenforceinent extending across the inner ends of the shoulder pieces is to prevent or materially reduce stretching of the shoulder pieces at their inner end portions, while said shoulder pieces are permitted to stretch throughout their remaining portions so as to provide for a comfortable fit of the garment over the shoulders without undesirable stretch at the sides of the neck opening. Moreover, as the reenforcement 21 intersects and is connected to the inner ends of the front and rear shoulder seams, said seams and reenforcenient are connected together which tends to reduce stretching of the shoulder pieces in the direction of their length, and affords an anchorage for the front ends of the reenforceinent.

.The best or most convenient material which I use for said reenforcing strand. 21 is a cord or preferably a narrow tape composed of threads braided somewhat loosely together so that the tape has a certain amount of elasticity, although, of course, much less than is possessed by the collaret, since the threads of the tape run lengthwise thereof, The tape 21 is narrow enough to be substantially concealed by the stitching used to connect the collaret and body portion of the garment, said stitching being of the usual fiat lock type as previously described. In applying the tape, the edges of the collaret and body section are laid together, and, as shown in Fig. 3, the reenforoing tape 21 is laid over the abutting edges of the seam so that when the flat lock stitching is effected, the tape 21 will be incorporated with or become a part of the seam itself and will be substantially concealed by the stitching. It will be manifest that with this construction no additional stitching or other means are required for the purpose of attaching the reenforcing strand.

By inspection of the figures, it will be ob served that the ends of the reenforcing tape 21 terminate considerably short of the ends of the collaret 17 so that the front of said collaret and neck opening retains its normal elasticity. This construction enhances the coi'nfo t of the garment while at. the same time the back and sides of the neck opening where the principal stresses are encountered are adequately reenforced and the shape and size of the neck opening are maintained.

The details of construction being illustrative of only one phase of my invention, the scope of same should be determined by reference to the appended claims, said claims being construed as broadly as possible, consistent with the state of the art.

I claim as my invention:

1.. An elastic undergarment having a neck opening reenforced to reduce stretching along the back and side portions only thereof and free to stretch along the front portion of the neck.

2. An elastic undergarment having a neck opening, a collaret secured by a seam around the edge of the neck opening, and reeuforcinp; means included in the back and side portions only of the seam to reduce stretching of the neck portion of the opening along the length of the reenforcing means, the

reniainino portion of the neck opening being free to stretch, and the free edge of the collaret having its inherent elasticity and flexibility.

3. An elastic undergarinent having a neck opening and including a back, right and left fronts, shoulder pieces, shoulder seams connecting the shoulder pieces to the back and the fronts, a collaret secured by a seam around the edge of the neck opening, and reenforcing means included in the back and side portions of the neck seam and having its end portions extending across and secured to the inner ends of the shoulder seams to reduce stretching of the neck portion of the opening along the length of the reenforcing means, the remaining front portion of the neck opening being free to stretch, and the free edge of the collaret having its inherent elasticity and flexibility.

4. An elastic undergarment having a neck opening and including a back, right and left fronts, shoulder pieces, shoulder seams connecting the shoulder pieces to the back and the fronts, and reenforcing means extending along the back and side portions only of the neck opening and having its end portions extending across and secured to the inner ends of the shoulder seams, the front portion of the neck opening being free to stretch.

WILLIMI BURKE.

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